This invention relates to a method of packaging nut assemblies of a type used to secure an article by means of a bolt to a flat article arranged such that its back is not accessible, and a package used for this purpose.
A hollow nut assembly of this type is shown in FIGS. 2A-3C. It comprises a flat head 3 formed with a bolt hole 2, a pair of elongated flat arms 5 extending parallel to each other in one direction from both sides of the head 3 and each formed with a longitudinally elongated hole 4, and a nut 8 substantially in the shape of a square pole having four longitudinal sides. A pair of pins 6 protrude laterally from a first pair of opposed longitudinal sides of the nut 8 and are loosely received in the respective elongated holes 4 of the arms 5 so that the nut 8 is pivotable about the pins 6 relative to the arms 5.
The arms 5 have lugs 10 at the distal ends thereof. The nut 8 has lugs 9 adapted to abut the lugs 10 when the nut longitudinally aligns with the arms 5 to prevent the nut 8 from pivoting in one direction from this position while allowing it to pivot only in the opposite direction. The nut 8 is formed with a threaded hole 7 extending therethrough between the second pair of opposed longitudinal sides. The nut 8 is further formed with an inclined guide surface 12 arranged such that when a bolt 11 is inserted through the bolt hole 2 with the lugs 9 and 10 in abutment with each other, it slides on the guide surface 12 while pivoting the nut 8 in the opposite direction until it becomes perpendicular to the axis of the arms 5 and its threaded hole 7 aligns with the bolt hole 2.
FIGS. 3A-3C show how this nut assembly is used to secure an article C with a bolt 11 to a board A whose back is inaccessible. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, a starting hole B is formed in the board A, the hole being of such a size that with the lugs 9 and 10 in abutment with each other, the nut 8 and the arms 5 can pass therethrough but not the head 3. The nut assembly is inserted into the hole B with the lugs 9 and 10 in abutment with each other until the head 3 abuts the edge of the hole B. Then, with an article C to be fastened to the board A pressed against the head 3, a bolt 11 is inserted through a hole D of the article C and the hole B. When it is slid along the guide surface 12, the nut 8 will pivot about the pins 6 by 90 degrees and become perpendicular to the axis of the arms 2 as shown in FIG. 3B.
In this state, the threaded hole 7 of the nut 8 aligns with the bolt hole 2. Thus, as the bolt 11 is turned by a screwdriver E in this state, it will thread into the threaded hole 7 while pulling the nut 8 toward the head 3 until the nut is pressed against the back of the board A as shown in FIG. 3C. The article C is now fastened to the board A.
Heretofore, a plurality of such nuts were simply put in a bag or a box for storage in a random manner.
But since the nuts 8 are freely pivotable about the pins 6, such nut assemblies frequently "get tangled" with each other in the bag or box.
Once they get tangled with each other, it is difficult to separate them without deforming or destroying the arms 5.
One solution to this problem would be to wind an adhesive tape around each nut assembly with the nut 8 aligned with the arms 5. But sticking and unsticking an adhesive tape is troublesome and time-consuming.
An object of the invention is to provide a method of easily packaging a plurality of nut assemblies of the abovementioned type in an orderly manner such that they would not tangle with each other, and to provide a package used in this method.